Net Neutrality
IntroductionDo you think that the Internet is free? Do you think that you can access to any website in the internet? Do you assume that as long as there is no restriction in the website server (like a subscription based web site), we are free to visit any website? The answers to the above questions largerly depend on:
In this section, we will give you the definition and explanation of net neutrality. Next, We will talk about net neutrality in Canada. Finally, we will provide you with scenarios where your ISP might violate the net neutrality principle and the methods they might use to control your web serving experience.
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...by studentsDo you know that ISP has the ability to block or limit your access to a particular website? ISPs in country like China block and filter content extensively, which leads to less freedom to their people in terms of accessing information online. Some ISPs even degrade and block access to their competitors' website. |
What is Net Neutrality?
Net Neutrality is a principle that states that if a user pays to access to the internet with bandwidth x and another user also pays to access to the internet with similar bandwidth, they should have no restriction to view any website without facing degradation in terms of internet traffic. In other words, Net Neutrality is a principle that promotes users' freedom in accessing information from any website. Net neutrality is about choice. Without any restriction, you are free to choose to navigate the website of your choice.
Some countries do not practise net neutrality because of their idealogies. For example, in countries like China, their government chooses to protect their people by determining the websites that are suitable for their people.
In some countries, there are no rules to enforce net neutrality. ISPs (Internet Service Providers) in those countries often take this opportunity to excercise their power by blocking and degrading the accessibility of a certain website.
To understand the issue of Net Neutrality, first you must understand the general concept of the internet.
Internet in general consist of 3 parts:
- You, the client (web brower application)
- Your ISP (Internet Service Provider - that connects you to the internet)
- A Server (the website you are visiting)
You connect to the Internet by going through your ISP and your ISP connects you to the web server. Your ISP acts as an intermediary that connects all of its client(customer) to all servers. The issue of net neutrality arises when an ISP starts to degrade or block its customers access to a website for its financial interest.
Why would your ISP do such a thing?
There are two scenarios that best describe the incentive for your ISP in going against the Net Neutrality principle. The first scenario is perhaps your provider signs an exclusive agreement with one company. It would then be in the provider's best interest to divert you to that company for services. For example, in the search engine business, perhaps your ISP signs an agreement with one search engine company. In that agreement, the search engine company may reward your ISP for every customer that it sends. It would then be your provider's best interest to block or degrade your access to any other search engines available and direct you to the selected search engine.
The second scenario is your ISP itself owns a company that provides some services. It would then uses its power to control your internet connection to encourage you to use their services instead of their competitors, again by degrading or blocking your access. For instance, you are using Skype for your Internet Phone Service. One day, out of the blue, Skype Internet phone service seem weak or fill with static or may be it doesn't work at all. A few months later, your ISP begins to offer its own Internet phone service. Was Skype really that bad? or did your ISP have something to do with it?
How does your ISP control the internet?
Bandwidth throttling
An ISP company can purposely reduce the speed of your service for certain protocols. For example, your ISP could lower the priority on torrent packets, making your downloading much slower.
IP blocking
IP blocking initially acts as a prevention from hacking and spamming. IP blocking successfully blocks unwanted connection and enhance security for its network.
However, ISPs can use this methodology to block your access to any website. The question is who gives ISP the right to block these website? What websites should your ISP block? Is there any regulation to prevent ISP from abusing this power?
Net Neutrality in Canada
In Canada, Internet service providers (ISPs) generally practice net neutrality principle.However, some ISPs like Rogers Hi-Speed Internet and Bell Canada violates the net neutrality principle by throttling of certain protocols. Telus ISP even went against net neutrality by blocking labor union blogs during an employee strike in 2005.
With the rising issue of net neutrality, the federal government updated the Telecommunications Policy Objectives and Regulation in March 2006 to promote the practice of net neutrality in Canada.
Apart from that, the Canadian Radio television and Telecommunication (CRTC) is also taking the afford to review the internet traffic management of ISPs in Canada to further enforce Net Neutrality.
Conclusion
Many people are not aware of the fact that ISPs can actually degrade or block their accessibility to a website in the Internet. They take for granted the fact that internet is free. Internet is free because of net neutrality. If we take for granted about this issue, our future generation might lose this freedom in the internet. Hence, we should create awareness and make sure that our government enforce the rules created to promote net neutrality.
References
Wikipedia, Network Neutrality retrieve Dec 3rd from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality
Wikipedia, Network Neutrality in Canada retrieve Dec 3rd from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality_in_Canada
Public knowledge, Net Neutrality Video retrieve Dec 3rd from http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/307
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